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| Greg Ward, Ziv Ravitz, Matthew Stevens and Leo Genovese present 'Full Cream' - out November 1 via Sugah Hoof Records Sugah Hoof Records is proud to announce the November 1 release of Full Cream, the debut from a collective of four celebrated and innovative musicians comprising Greg Ward and Ziv Ravitz alongside GRAMMY-Award winners Matthew Stevens and Leo Genovese. One of the unique tenets of music is the ability of musicians who have never met prior and who know nothing about each other to encounter one another on the bandstand and create something new and brilliant. Such is the story of drummer Ziv Ravitz and saxophonist/keyboardist Greg Ward. Hired as sidemen for the great bassist Linda May Han Oh's tour in Fall 2021, Ravitz and Ward connected profoundly on the bandstand over their fortnight of performances in Europe. With each gig, their musicianship became complementarily intertwined and upon the conclusion of the tour they noted the necessity of putting together a future project. As Ravitz and Ward discussed settings for their musical brainchild, they initially favored a duo to explore their voices and highlight their interlocking styles. Shortly thereafter, however, both saw the need for a third member to complete their sound and add further richness to their ideas. Unanimously, the duo decided on guitarist and bassist Matthew Stevens. Stevens, who had also been a collaborator in Oh's ensembles, was in strong favor of the creation of the trio and everything seemed set to move forward, barring the coordination of a recording date. Finding studio time proved to be a challenge. Amidst varying schedules and the unique challenges of the pandemic years, the recording date was waylaid until July 2nd and 3rd, 2023. This delay proved fortuitous, however, as it allowed for one more last-minute idea: the addition of a final member. "Right before the recording, Matt suggested that we add another person to fill out the recording, " Ward recalls. Stevens recommended keyboardist-pianist Leo Genovese, whose wide-ranging credits span Wayne Shorter and Terri Lyne Carrington to Residente and The Mars Volta. Serendipitously available for the date, Genovese rounded out the quartet to excellent and dramatic effect. "We are all so glad Leo could join us, " Ward says. "His contributions to the music were incredible." The ensemble was set, the dates were booked, and the pieces were chosen. As the musicians began interacting and creating together in the studio, an evident ethos became established that ultimately led to the name of the ensemble and the project. "We indulge ourselves in a project, in doing something because we just wanted to create something together, " Ravitz says. Thus, Full Cream was born, the debut album by the internationally dispersed quartet—with Ziv Ravitz currently living in the south of France, Leo Genovese from New York City, Matthew Stevens currently residing near Boston, and Greg Ward from Chicago. Ward elaborates further on Ravitz's statement: "We don't want to leave anything on the table, " he says. "My friend told me that he thinks that I'm a guy that lives his life 'full cream'; that seemed like a great representation of how I'd like to live." Musically, Full Cream represents the complete scope of each band member's personality and influence. Ranging from rock to free jazz in stylings and encompassing a variety of timbres with the varying instrumentation each musician brought to the fore, this album is kaleidoscopic yet unified in vision as it presents eight original compositions contributed by its members. The collaboration process on the album led to the distinct stylings of Full Cream. Using the shared creative strengths of four minds, each musician arrived at the session with ideas in various states of completion and orchestration. "We began by working through the material and everyone would make suggestions as they came to them, " Ward says. "These ideas could range from orchestration and texture to tempo, style, and form. Once we figured out a good format for the composition, we put it down." Using this true collaborative method of arranging and orchestration led to experimentations with sounds and instrumentation, resulting in an album that presents a uniquely varied instrumentation while still using the same musicians throughout. "Leo played mostly Hammond B-3 Organ along with piano and various synths. Matthew Stevens played various acoustic and electric guitars and bass with all kinds of effects, " explains Ward. "Ziv played drums and various percussion and I played alto sax and synths." This ever-rotating carousel of instruments allows the music on Full Cream to remain eternally interesting to a listener without ever stepping into the unseemly territory of feeling contrived. Since the orchestration evolved naturally in the studio, every twist and turn retains the ebb and flow of a logical development. "We are the sum of the universes of the musicians on this album, " Ravitz says. "Very different types of songs come together to sound as if one composer wrote it all." The variance from song to song yet overarching feeling of unity can be seen across the tracks "Good Morning Zebras!", "Late", and "Argo". Ward composed both "Good Morning Zebras!" and "Argo". The former was written specifically for the band on Full Cream and is specifically noted as "not programmatic" by the composer. The piece leans heavily into its infectious groove and notably showcases the technical prowess of Genovese and Ward during their solos. "Argo" is dedicated to a time and place in Ward's life. Shortly after graduating, the saxophonist moved into his grandparents' basement in Argo, IL, southwest of Chicago. This period marked intense artistic development for Ward as he spent countless hours singing and dancing his melodies and ideas to life in that basement, seeking to elicit as raw a form of his music as possible. "These were important times in my life, " Ward expresses. "I was trying to figure out how to make this life in the arts happen. I learned how to commit and grind during this period of my life." Where Argo presents a sort of wild madness musically, this is heavily contrasted by "Late", composed by Ravitz. Meditative in mood, "Late" is a refreshing divergence that showcases the band's ability to be profoundly intimate while still maintaining the unique vision and sonic personalities present throughout the album. Full Cream represents a freedom and joy that is rooted in the joy of expression and collaborative creation. When one listens to Full Cream, there is no haughtiness observed. Rather, the sheer exhilaration and honesty of four peers making something earnestly shines through every note in a way that leaves audiences jubilant and eager for more. Full Cream releases via Sugah Hoof Records on November 1. Tracklisting: Nobodies Late Good Morning Zebras! A Sublime Engine Argo Improv Full Cream Shadows on the Wall write your comments about the article :: © 2024 Jazz News :: home page |